The Faculty at Coalesce
Being educated in the arts, experienced in teaching, and enthusiastic about the art of dance are qualities that are required of our staff. As teachers, we strive to provide our students with every ounce of knowledge and guidance they need to progress & grow in dance. We are proud to hire instructors who encourage self-confidence, perseverance and dedication in and out of the studio so that our students may do the same.
Cristina Siegel
Owner & Artistic Director
Cristina Siegel is the founder and artistic director of Coalesce Center for Dance Artistry. Her dance education began at four years old and continued into her teens. During her youth, Cristina’s interests in dance led to a bigger investment in the arts as she began studying ballet, tap, modern, and jazz. Dedication and excellence in dance earned her a scholarship to DeSales University, where she later graduated with a B.A. in Dance with concentrations in ballet and modern, along with a minor in Italian. During college, she was instructed by esteemed professors; Timothy Cowart, Angela Sigley, Trinette Singleton, and had the privilege to perform for Tara Madsen Robbins, Camille Armstrong, Francesca Marinaro, and Natalie Desch.
While continuing to teach in Montgomery, Lehigh, & Bucks Counties, she began rehearsing and performing with the Lady Hoofers, Philadelphia's premier all female professional tap company directed by Kat Richter and Katie Budris Bryan. Through these experiences, Cristina was able to affirm that building Coalesce Center for Dance Artistry was the next step. The past two years of directing Coalesce Center for Dance Artistry have been incredible and the future of Coalesce is bright thanks to the amazing staff and families here at the studio! She is so thrilled to have the ability to provide you and your children with the training and environment you have been looking for during the 2020-2021 season!
Jaimie Geddes
Coalesce Instructor
Jaimie Geddes has been dancing for the past 29 years and has been teaching in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for the past 10 years. She trained in ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical at Jazz Unlimited Studio of Dance Arts in NJ, winning numerous regional and national titles. She had the privilege of studying with Meghan Braun, Molly Misgalla, Mia Michaels, Joe Lanteri, and Andy Blankenbuehler.
Her love of dance led to a passion for musical theatre, and she went on to obtain a BFA in musical theatre from NYU. She has since played many iconic roles including Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street, Cassie in A Chorus Line, Velma Kelly in Chicago, Charity Hope Valentine in Sweet Charity, Lola in Damn Yankees, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and Sandy in Grease. She is currently a member of the resident company at Music Mountain Theatre in Lambertville, NJ.
She has taught at different studios throughout Bucks and Montgomery counties in addition to spending 5 years as the dance choreographer at the Pennsylvania State Thespian Conference in York, PA and assisted Tony nominated choreographer Lorin Lotarro (Broadway's Waitress) at the Bucks County Playhouse. She is excited to bring her knowledge and passion for technique training to Coalesce!
Sherri Bittner
Yoga Instructor
Kimberly O'Grady
Guest Tap Instructor
Kimberly has over 25 years of experience as a tap dancer and has been trained in other dance forms including jazz, hip-hop, modern, lyrical and ballet. Kimberly has been a First Company dancer and choreographer with The Lady Hoofers tap ensemble, Philadelphia's premier all-female tap company, since 2016 under the guidance of Artistic Director, Kat Richter and Managing Director, Katie Budris, and was a part of the company's debut cast of "The Tapcracker", an all tap version of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker, set to music of both Duke Ellington and Tchaikovsky. Past performance credits include the Performance Garage, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, "That Which Connects" Camden's festival of dance at Rutgers University, among others. Kimberly has had the pleasure of taking master classes with Jason Samuel Smith, Heather Cornell, Michele Dunleavy, Lola Sanchez, Karen Callaway Williams, Danny Gardner, among others. In the Spring of 2019, Kimberly debuted her choreography "Sound & Color", a duet she performed with tap dancer and mentor, Leah Melling DeCesare, at Tap Ties 14th Annual National Tap Dance Day Celebration at Ceder Crest College. Over the years, Kimberly has also taken several master classes with the Radio City Rockettes. Ms. O'Grady attended DeSales University for two semesters where she performed in Crazy for You as Sheila/Socialite at the university's Act 1 Theatre program. She's also a certified vinyasa yoga instructor.
Kimberly completed her BA in Mass Media Communication at LaSalle University in Philadelphia where she's had the privilege of working in television as a reporter, producer and anchor, earning two Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Award nominations for her reporting, received recognition from the Pennsylvania Associated Press and was awarded a bronze Telly Award in 2016 for her writing on a segment that aired on Innovations Television Series on the Discovery Channel. Kimberly's television and film acting credits include FBI, Bull and the film 17 Bridges starring Sienna Miller, Chadwick Boseman and J.K. Simmons being released in July 2019.
Elizabeth Miles
Ballet Instructor
Elizabeth Miles has been an instructor of classical ballet and contemporary dance for over 40 years with a focus on ballet technique in private schools, dance companies, and educational institutions.
Dance provides students with a sense of discipline and an
appreciation for art and beauty. Movement, like everything else in life has a rhythm that stirs the soul and awakens a passion for life. Whether a student is working toward a career in dance or taking class for personal enjoyment, the training for the dancer and the dedication of the instructor is the same.
Kaitlyn Miller-Cox
Tap Instructor, Office
Kaitlyn Miller-Cox is a dance-educator, performer and current Master of Fine Arts in Dance candidate at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University. Her performance and training highlights include the Tuscan Summer Dance Intensive in Livorno, Italy, Radio City Rockette Intensive, performing in Walt Disney World and the Miss America Show Us Your Shoes Parade. She performed with the Lady Hoofer Tap Ensemble as an apprentice company member in December 2019. She continued her dance training at DeSales University, where she received a BA in Dance and Business Administration. She has been a dance teacher for many years, working with many age groups from young children to adults. During the fall she became an adjunct professor at King’s College, in Wilkes-Barre, PA, teaching Introduction to Tap. She recently began as a Flexologist with StretchLAB in Collegeville, PA where she focuses on stretching clients one-on-one to improve their flexibility, mobility and overall live a longer life. Kaitlyn has been the office manager of Friendly Tax Advisors for the past three years and is in the process to become an Enrolled Agent. She cannot wait to begin teaching at Coalesce and looks forward to meeting all the students!